Locomotive stoker



Sept. 6, 1938.

C. J. SURDY LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Original Filed July 20, 1955 I I y Z1 31 a 252V mi N N sf?, Y mi@ OX www QV lq 1 A oRNEYs.

Patented Sept. 6, 1938 .altares v LoQoMoTIvE sroKEn Y Charles .1 J-JSurdy, mesne assignm Tuckahoa N- ssignor, lby `i l nts, to -The.-Standard `Stoker- Company Incorporated, a :corporation of. `Dela- "Original application? I. July zo, 1935, serial No.

. j 132,339. Dividedand this application January 2 Claims. (C1. iaslsl `Inxlocomotivestokers of thetypeto which this invention has reference, the mainconveyor member extends'from beneathgthetender fuel bin to a pointbeneathl thehlocomotive cab decl:` and is so arranged that the forward end ofsuch main i conveyor is at a substantial elevation above the portion of said conveyor rearward of its forward end. The forward-end yof. the --main conveyor ymember is `connected by a flexible joint to the i rearward end of a'fuel elevating conveyor which y is rigidly secured toithe hollowbackwall of the locomotive rebox. Thusjthe main conveyor z member is, in effect, suspended from the elevating conveyor on thelocomotive.

*This constructionimposes a'considerable strain upon the exible connectionbetween the two `conveyorsand these strains .areztransmitted to i the hollow backwall of the. locomotive iirebox .upon which the elevating conveyor is supported, resulting in a weakened boiler structure. Therefore, it Listhe principal..object of this invention to'relieve this'strain uponthe :flexible :joint between the two conveyors and the boiler Hbackwallby providing .a'n additionalrsupport for `the main conveyor member, such additional support being carried by thefframe of the'locomotive insuch a manner `sonas `noti to transmit any strains to the boiler backwall; f

A still further objectiof my inventionis the provision of means intermediate the endslof said transfer conveyormember for additionally supportingthe latter during its vertical,V transverse and longitudinal vmovement with reference'i-to the locomotive and tender.r C l Other objects and advantages of this-invention consist'in the'` novel relation of parts which will become apparent as the following descrip-tion is read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a central vertical medial section of adjacent ends of a locomotivey and tender with the invention embodied therein and shown in similar section; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view illustrating one modification of the invention shown` in Fig. 1.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the locomotive A includes a boiler IIJ provided with a hollow back- Wall II at the rear of the ireboX I2. In the backwall II is the ring opening I3 which is above the level of the cab deck I4 and the grates I5. Coupled to the locomotive at C is a tender B having a fuel bin I6 above the apertured floor I1.

'I'he improved stoker for transferring fuel from the bin I6 to the rebox I2 is indicated generally at S and it includes the transfer con- -neath the fuel bin 42| driven from its rearward end by gearing 22 *wardly inclined tubular portion 23 -Ifjournalled a shaft I28 'fuel 'between theY n vthereby eliminatingfany fuel degradation at this point. 'nects a `shaft-3l,driven by the gearing 22, with 'member' 34.v Thenlatter is rigidlysupported from 'the boiler.` `backwall` I ,veyor member I8 having a trough portion I 9 movably mounted by means of the rollers 2) be- IG to receive fuel therefrom. Within the trough portion' I9 is aconveyor screw and extending forward of the tender. Immediately forward of the conveyor screw 2 I, the transfer conveyor member I8 is provided with a forhaving its lower wall 24 stepped'downwardly at its rearward end and thence extending upwardly and forwardly to the locomotive.

`Within the forwardlyinclined tubular portion 23 `is a conveyor screw 25, the `rearmost fuel impelling night 26 of which is spaced forward from the deliveryend of the conveyor screw ZI and Y also offset axially therefrom in a downward direction. `Between the trough portion I9 and the tubular portion 23,` the transfer conveyor member lis providediwith a bearing 27` within which is provided at its forward and rearward ends with universal joints 2S and Btl,

respectively., The' joint 29 `connects the conveyor screw 25 inoperative relation and is so disposed that it is `not -within the passage for conveyor screws ZI and 25,

The universal jointn30 operatively conthe journalled shaft 28 fortransmitting power to 30 operate the conveyor screw`25.

` Ateits upperiforward endfthe` tubular portion L23 isa-provided with spherical shell32'which'is received in acomplernentary seat` 33 of the riser 35 I `by, abracket and is inclined-forwardly fromjthe' seat "33 at agreater angle of inclinationv than the tubular portion 23 and greater than 45 degrees. Within the riser member 34 is a conveyor screw 36, at its rearward end universally jointed as at 31 to the conveyor screw 25, and terminating at its upper end adjacent the mouth 38 of the riser member. Fuel distributing means 39 disposed at the liring opening I3 serves to distribute over the grates I5 the fuel discharged through the mouth 38 of the riser member 34. The tubular portion 23 is provided with a foot pad 40 having a spherical bottom which rests upon a spherical surface 4I of the bracket 42 supported on the locomotive frame 9, thereby forming an additional support for the transfer conveyor member intermediate the ends thereof.

The support bracket may be better described as being saucer or dish shaped in which is seated 55 the bottom of the foot pad much after the fashion of a cup resting in its saucer, whereby contact is maintained between the adjacent surfaces of the pad and bracket. This forms an additional support for the transfer conveyor member during its free swinging movement on the locomotive and tender, and also relieves the strain from the universal connection between the adjacent ends of the tubular portion 23 andthe riser member 34.

It will be apparent from the drawing that, since the spherical shell 33 is at a considerable elevation above the main portion of the transfer conveyor I8, said conveyor is,'in effect, suspended from the riser member 34. This imposes a strain upon the universal connection 32, 33 which is in turn transmitted to the backwall II by reason of the fact that said backwall rigidly supports the conduit member 34. Therefore, it is clear that the provision of an additional support on the locomotive frame 9 effectively relieves this strain.

Fig. 2 illustrates a modification wherein the tubular portion 50 of the transfer conveyor member I8 is inclined at the angle of inclination of the riser member 5|, which is at an angle greater than degrees, and in alignment therewith. Within the tubular portion is an elevating screw 52,` the lower end of which is operatively connected to gearing 53 driven by a shaft 54 which leads forwardly from the gear drive'at the rear of the screw 2l. The gearing 53 is housed in a casing 55 carried by the transfer conveyor member I3. At its upper end, the screw 52 terminates within the riser member 5I at a point belowkthe level of the distributing means 39. The advantage of this construction over that of Fig. 1 is that the screw 52 is inclined at a relatively steep angle, and of itself urges fuel through the riser member by the direct action of its flights.

Since the tubular portion 50 Vis in alignment with the `riser member 5|, the spherical seat 5|a of the latter affords considerably less support for the ball member of the 'tubular portion 50 than does the universal joint construction illustrated in Fig. l. Furthermore, the conveyor i8 also carries the additional gearing 53 for the screw 52, so it will be obvious that the use of the additional supporting means, comprising the bracket 42 carried ,by the vlocomotive frame 9 and the pad 40 which is formed with tubular portion 50, is of special advantage in this modication in relieving the strains imposed by the conveyor I8, upon the backwall Il.

- This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 32,339, filed July 20, 1935, for improvements in Locomotive stokers, patented Mar. 16, 1937, No. 2,027,304.

The following is claimed as new and useful:

1. In combination with an intercoupled locomotive and tender, the former having a boiler backwall and a frame, and the latter being provided with a fuel bin, a fuel transfer conveyor leading forwardly from said tender to said locomotive comprising a trough portion underlying said bin and a conduit portion rigid with said trough portion, the forward end of said conduit portion being disposed above the level of said trough portion, means carried by said trough portion movably supporting said transfer conveyor on the tender, means carried by the boiler backwall arranged to flexibly support the forward end of said conduit portion, said fuel trans* fer conveyor being provided with a depending foot member, and a support member carried solely by the frame of the locomotive, one of said members at its free end having a concave surface and the other of said members at its free end having a convex surface, one of said curved surfaces fitting into the other of said curved surfaces, the engagement of said curved surfaces arresting substantial fore and aft movement of said transfer conveyor with respect to said locomotive as relative fore and aft movement between the locomotive and tender occurs.

2. In combination with an intercoupled locomotive and tender, the former having a boiler backwall and a frame, and the latter being provided with a fuel bin, a fuel transfer conveyor leading forwardly from said tender to said locomotive comprising a trough portion underlying said bin and a conduit portion rigid with said trough portion, the forward end of said conduit i portion being disposed above the level of said trough portion, means carried by said trough portion movably supporting said transfer conveyor on the tender, means carried by the boiler backwall arranged to flexibly support the for- A ward end of said conduit portion, said 'fuel transfer conveyor being provided with a depending foot member, and a support member carried solely by the frame of the locomotive, said members being disposed intermediate said first and second named means, one of said members at its free end having a concave surface and the other 0f said members at its free end having a convex surface, one of said curved surfaces tting into the other of said curved surfaces, the engagement of said curved surfaces arresting substantial fore and aft movement of said transfer conveyor with respect to said locomotive as relative fore and aft movement between the locomotive and tender occurs.

- CHARLES J. SURDY. 

